Raja Ampat Indonesia is one of the favorite vacation destinations for tourists from all over the world. Its nature and underwater stunning scenery are the…

How to get to Raja Ampat from the United States Fast and Easy

By rai2 on September 10, 2018

Most foreign tourists coming to Indonesia choose to have their vacation in Bali. It is quite reasonable since Bali has been a famous tourist destination since a long time ago. However, now many people know or heard about Raja Ampat which is located in East Indonesia. How to get to Raja Ampat from the United States? This might be a frequently asked question for you that want to visit Raja Ampat and coming from the United States.

We will provide you with detailed and easy to understand guidance. We hope that it helps you to plan your vacation to this diving paradise!

From America to Indonesia

Although it is geographically close, there is a huge difference time between Indonesia and America, up to dozen hours. Tourists will be prone to jetlag because of this. But no need to worry, sunny weather and delicious food will treat your jetlag. We will summarize flights from America to Indonesia via Jakarta before you proceed to Sorong Airport, Papua Province. All travel time mentioned here includes transit time (since it is not a direct flight):

New York – Jakarta: New York is on the east side of the United States, therefore the flights require longer duration than when you’re leaving from Los Angeles. The fastest flight is from Singapore Airlines with 21 hours 40 minutes at a price of 1,213 USD per passenger and transit in Singapore.Flight route:
New York Newark Airport – Singapore Changi Airport – Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang Indonesia (Singapore Airlines)

Boston – Jakarta: As one of the busiest cities with its business activities, Boston people also love nature and diving. Flights from this city to Jakarta is also closer compare to flights from Atlanta, which only takes 22 hours 55 minutes. The best choice is Qatar Airways that transits in Doha. It costs 1,114 USD, two times more expensive than from Atlanta to Jakarta. But if you want to be more economical, you can take Japan Airways with 23 hours 25 minutes travel time at a price of 527 USD.Flight route:
Boston Logan International Airport – Hamad International Airport, Doha Qatar – Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang Indonesia (Qatar Airways)
Boston Logan International Airport – Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan – Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang Indonesia (Japan Airways)

Chicago – Jakarta: This city that often appears in Hollywood films also has several flight choices to Jakarta. The fastest is 22 hours 50 minutes with All Nippon Airways (ANA) and transit in Japan. The transit time does not take a long time, only 1 hour 25 minutes. So there is no need to wait too long to get to Indonesia. The price is also more affordable even though it is a five-star airline, it is only 508 USD.Flight route:
Chicago O’Hare International Airport – Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan – Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang Indonesia

San Francisco – Jakarta: Located on the east side of America makes traveling from San Francisco to Jakarta takes a shorter time. With Singapore Airlines, it only takes 20 hours and 25 minutes. With 1,152 USD per passenger, you can fly with the best airline in the world.Flight route
San Francisco International Airport – Changi Singapore Airport – Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang Indonesia (Singapore Airlines)

Now, we are halfway through how to get to Raja Ampat from the United States. Once you arrived in Jakarta, what about the next flights to Sorong? Here is how:

Flights from Jakarta to Sorong

There are two direct flights from Jakarta (Indonesian capital) to Domine Eduard Osok Airport, Sorong, Papua. They are:

Batik Air departs at 00.30 Western Indonesian Time and arrives at 06.30 Eastern Indonesian Time from Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang.

Garuda Indonesia departs at 00.20 Western Indonesian Time and arrives at 06.35 Eastern Indonesian Time form Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang.

There are indeed not many choices of flights since Jakarta is quite far from Sorong airport. But don’t worry, there are also transit flights if you run out of direct flights. Below are the options:

Batik Air departs at 06.05 WIB from Jakarta and then transits in Ambon, Maluku for 35 minutes before flies to Sorong Airport and arrives at 13.10 Eastern Indonesian Time. It costs 170 USD, which is more expensive. However, it flies in the morning instead of midnight.Flight route:
Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport Jakarta – Ambon Pattimura Airport – Domine Eduard Osok Airport Sorong, Papua

One more step on how to get to Raja Ampat from the United States is going from Sorong to Raja Ampat.

From Sorong Raja Ampat

Once you arrived at Sorong, the next thing to do is go to Waisai. There are two ways you can go from Sorong to Waisai, by air and sea.

Air Route
There is a small airport in Waisai, called Marinda airport. However, the plane to Waisai from Sorong is only available twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday. There are small planes with limited capacity only that flies from and to Waisai, so you might want to make sure you get the time and schedule right before deciding to go by plane from Sorong to Waisai.

Sea Route
Going by sea route is easier once you arrive at Sorong since there are 3 companies serve ferry transportation to Waisai. They are Bahari Express, Marina Express, and PT. Fajar. They usually depart at 9 am and 2 pm every day. However, you might want to check to the information center first since the ferry can be suddenly delayed or canceled. It costs IDR 100,000 for economy class and IDR 150,000 for business class.

With the description above, hopefully we are able to answer your question on how to get to Raja Ampat from the United States. It can look like a very long journey to arrive in Raja Ampat. But you won’t regret it once you know what kind of adventure is waiting for you.